


First Impressions

by Lilbug121



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, actually far less violence than canon typical only like one storm trooper dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 01:11:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9357863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilbug121/pseuds/Lilbug121
Summary: Cassian does not know how to reprogram a droid from the ground up, but he does know how to reprogram an obedience protocol. Making the droid obey him would be easiest, but far too risky in case it fell back into Imperial hands. But making the droid obeyitself? That just might work.





	

Cassian doesn't know nearly enough about droids to reprogram one, not fully at least. He knows how to dig into their code and extract some information or cause them to malfunction, he's familiar with sabotage, but to keep the droid functional? He wouldn't know where to start. But he does know enough to be able to reprogram an obedience protocol. To him this is as common a skill as hot wiring a ship or picking a lock. He makes quick work of the droid's security encryptions, taking him to the relatively user-friendly act of reassigning the droid's master.

Cassian is about to set the droid to be loyal to himself, when he thinks better of it. This droid could easily fall back into the Empires hands, and if that happens it would be best for him, and the rebellion in general, not to have such an obvious connection to it. But he can't leave it blank, the system won't let him and what good would that be anyways, a droid loyal to no one?

A droid loyal to no one.

Cassian recalls hearing once, about a sort of programming loophole. It had been pointed out as kind of a joke, a piece of trivia, that if you set a droid to be obedient to itself it basically has free will. Someone wondering why that got tried out in the first place, someone else making a joke about not being surprised by programmers doing crazy things.

A droid loyal to no one. No one but itself.

It just might work. It has to because Cassian has no other options.

He resets the KX unit's protocol, programs it to obey itself, and hopes for the best as it boots up.

The unit's eyes flicker to life, and he recites the same hard-coded spiel the unit always would after a manual shutdown like this, stating his own diagnostics and informing whoever is there to listen that no data was lost or corrupted by the sudden shut down. All systems normal. All the while Cassian is holding his breath, hand on the blaster at his hip. He relaxes slightly, though retains his grip, at the next thing the droid says.

"Who are you?"

The KX unit is a security droid. This one should have access to a complete list of who is allowed on this base, and where precisely they are allowed to be. In less than a second he should recognize Cassian as someone who does not belong, and ask him to state his business or jump right to bodily restraining him. He already has once. Asking that simple question instead is an unimaginably good sign.

Cassian offers out his hand to shake and puts on a friendly face. This droid can make his own choices now, and he needs him to choose to like him.

"Cassian Andor. Nice to meet you"

The droid looks at his hand, but does not take it. Cassian doesn't know if this is because he doesn't want to, or because he doesn't know what to do with it. Security droids tend to only have the bare minimum when it comes to interacting with humans.

"We have already met. I discovered you in a restricted area and you resisted capture, sustaining moderate injury to your left leg before manually shutting me down".

The KX unit pauses, for just a brief moment, but for how fast a droid processes things it was uncomfortably long.

"You reprogrammed me". It doesn't sound like an accusation. Just an observation. A realization. "What did you do?"

Cassian answers as calmly as possible. Things were going well so far but every step of this interaction was delicate and crucial. "I changed your obedience protocol."

Another brief but noticeable pause. "You are not my master". Another observation, but it's almost a question.

Cassian shakes his head. "That would be too easy. You don't have a master now. Or, rather, you're your own master. It's a little loophole in the protocol."

"Why?"

Cassian shrugs. "Why not". It's not exactly the truth but it's not a lie either. Truly, why not? He's deep in an Imperial base with an injured leg, a dead contact, and not many options. Why not try this one?

"I find that answer unsatisfying."

Cassian sighs. "Of course. Look, what's your name?"

"My designation is K-2SO"

"Alright K-2SO, I'm going to cut to the chase here. I need to get out of this base alive. And I have a suspicion that you and I have a common goal at this point".

"The odds of my being deactivated for this programming deviation within 48 hours is 99%" the droid agrees. At least, Cassian thinks that's him agreeing.

He continues "Working together our odds of succeeding in escape go up by 51%. Although the initial figures for either of us aren't very high to begin with."

"So is that a yes?"

"Your figures are much lower than mine" the droid continues again, ignoring him, and if Cassian didn't know better he'd think that he was bragging. Hell, maybe he was. He could do more or less whatever he wanted at this point. 

"You said yourself yours weren't great either. Are we a team or what?" Cassian is trying to be delicate but this is getting frustrating. This, he thinks to himself, is why he works alone.

And then, before Cassian can react further, the droid reaches for the blaster at his hip. His own fingers curl around it instinctively but his grip is no match for the KX unit's strength, and he grabs it from him easily. It all happens so fast, and Cassian ducks in the hope that he can at least avoid the first shot.

But he realizes, the shot misses where his head had been by feet, and in a second Cassian can hear the distinct thump and clatter of a Storm Trooper hitting the ground dead.

Cassian looks back up at K-2SO holding the smoking blaster out in front of himself, and swears he can see a grin on his expressionless face.

"I'm keeping this. You can take the blaster from the body. There is a 65% chance more troopers are on their way, 90 if anyone heard that blast, so I suggest you hurry."

Cassian stands and smiles wide, excited and relieved. "So you'll help then?"

"I suggest you hurry" he repeats. "I'm not waiting up for you".

Cassian takes that as a yes.


End file.
